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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween

Some people can warm a cold day with a mere smile. Some family's
radiate life. Marie and the Cigals are perfect examples. A big,
boisterous clan they are. When they get together, they celebrate one
another and welcome all to join in the fun.

30
years ago Marie's
daughter spent a fall afternoon with her grandfather Clayton Sr. carving
pumpkins.
They displayed them on his front step for all to see. A year passed and
another grandchild joined in the festivities and they needed a couple
steps to show off their creations. Three decades later four generations
of Cigal's show up for a weekend long party. This year friends and
family had 400 pumpkins to carve, including a couple over 200lbs. They
rose to the challenge and on nights leading up to Halloween, Clayton
Sr's. yard is lit up with brightly colored jacks-o-lanterns of all sorts
of shapes and sizes.

For years this labor of love has warmed the
hearts of neighbors and town residents. A simple sign requesting
donations for the Our Community Food Pantry annually raises enough food and
money to provide families in need with months worth of groceries. Most
of us think of All Hallows' Eve a holiday of consumption, to the
Cigal's it is one for giving.